Letting Go
by Liona Skycat
Summary: My entry for the Project YuGiOh fic contest. Futurefic. Yami is the only one left, and he's getting weary of life alone. YxY


Letting Go

By Liona Skycat

Rating: PG

Category: Angst/Psychological

            Yami stared down at the waves crashing against the rocks. The ocean was so powerful, so beautiful. Yugi had loved the ocean, it was why they had chosen a house on a cliff over-looking it. Tilting back his head, he inhaled the briny smell of ocean air, wind whipping around him, teasing his clothing and hair out of place.

            He had made his decision, and he would go through with it. Crimson eyes closed, and his mind was brought back to that morning that seemed so long ago, when he had made his decision. The day he had woken up to a lonely house, looked into the mirror and realized he no longer liked what he saw…

            He didn't look his age. It was the first thought that passed through his mind as he stared at his reflection. Many people told him he had aged well, he told himself he aged unnaturally. His body was, what? Surely past a hundred years old now, but he barely looked to be in his eighties.

            His skin had remained smooth throughout the years, with only a light crinkling at the corners of his eyes, and the creases of laugh lines around his lips. But then, Yugi had had few wrinkles himself, age making itself known in other ways…

            Once vibrant hair had faded to grey, with an occasional streak of black. His skin still held a healthy tan, covering athletic muscles, though he was nowhere near as fit as he had been once. He no longer had the strength to run through the streets, to climb trees and scale hills of rock. And recently he had noticed his hands had begun to tremble as he lifted his utensils to eat, frailty seeping into his bones.

            He used to think his slowed aging was a blessing, but he had begun to feel it was a curse. To remain young and strong, as his other half, his love grew old and fragile, fading away… It was strange, after awhile the resemblance between himself and Yugi had decreased. Enough so that the two could be seen together in public without him having to dress-up or hide his hair, as they had done at their wedding.

            Weakening fingers twisted a gold band encircling one of the digits. Yes, he had aged slower than his Light, but he was still aging. Who knows how long he would live though? Maybe forever, struck in a feeble, useless body, eternally suffering with half a soul.

            For he truly was only half a soul, he had felt the other part being ripped from him in that moment Yugi had closed his eyes to never open them again. A hole had been torn in him, one that could never be filled.

            And there were other holes, too. Smaller ones, places that had belonged to his friends. He was one of the last of their group, all the others were gone leaving behind only those of the younger generations. And him.

            He knew then that he could not stand to live this half-life any longer. A plan formed in his mind, who's sharpness had been the one thing never touched by age. A five-thousand-year-old mind that had finally begun to feel the weariness of all its years.

            Exiting the bathroom he made his slow, but steady way to the kitchen and sat down with a pen and paper to make a list. He was going to go visiting. Placing his pen to the paper, he smiled. Children first.

A year after they had married Yugi had voiced his desire for a child. He wasn't one to deny the wants of his Light, but being as they were both male they couldn't exactly have a child of their own. Nevertheless, his spouse would not be deferred and soon enough he had found himself at an adoption agency.

The moment he had set eyes upon the twins he had fallen in love. Only seven at the time, they had been intelligent, energetic and beautiful. Yugi had had the same feelings, and they had adopted the identical girls, Tamara and Tanya.

Raising the raven-haired girls had been a wonderful experience, though not without its difficulties. The twins turned out to be brown-eyed devils, and had to be the most skilled pranksters he'd ever met. But he and Yugi still loved them and couldn't have been prouder when the two became champion duelists.

But now they were both old themselves, with their own children and grandchildren. He smiled to himself, he had lived to see his great grandchildren… no parent should out-live their children, though, and so his decision strengthened. He walked up to the quaint, little house that was occupied by his daughters, both having lost their husbands for different reasons.

Raising a hand, he rapped lightly on the door. It was quickly answered by a black-haired teenager, his youngest great-grandchild, Hikari.

"Grampy!" the girl squealed, and threw her arms around his neck. "We were all wondering when you'd show up."

He smiled, wrapping his arms around the hyperactive girl. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

She dragged him into the front hallway where his remaining great-grandchildren from Tamara's side mobbed him, Hikari's sister Ai, and their older cousin Solomon. Greetings, smiles and laughter were exchanged and he was pulled further through the house, picking up another great-granddaughter, Shard, along the way.

The group of relatives moved into the back yard, where the rest of his family was waiting. There were his daughters sitting on lawn chairs, chatting quietly to each other, and Tanya's only child, Ryou with his wife. Shard's older brother, and his oldest great-grandchild, Chase was with them.

There, by the artificial pond were Solomon's parents, Joshua and his wife, and next to them were Ai and Hikari's, Anya and her husband. His only childless grandchild, Christopher was resting in the shade of a tree with his husband. Love radiated throughout the yard, so many happy couples…

"Grampy is here!" Hikari shouted, capturing everyone's attention. More greetings rang out, questions were posed upon peoples' well being, and further laughter rang out.

As things settled down and select people went off to prepare food, he moved to sit with his twin daughters.

"We almost thought you weren't coming," Tamara said, green eyes twinkling.

"Yes," Tanya teased. "It would have been quite rude if you had missed a reunion that you had called in the first place."

He smiled sadly. "I wouldn't miss this for he world, I had to see them all again…"

Concern, then realization flickered in the eyes of the two, aged woman. Hands sought out his, each daughter clasping an appendage. He sighed, closing his eyes.

"I'm… weary," he confessed softy. "I miss Yugi."

"We all miss Da," Tamara replied somberly.

"Give him our regards, will you?" Tanya asked.

He nodded, and for a while the trio sat in silence, watching the rest of their family interact.

"You'll say goodbye to them for me, won't you?" He requested, breaking the silence and gesturing to the people filling the backyard.

"We will." Tanya confirmed. "Now stop being so depressing and enjoy the reunion."

And so he did.

It was a beautiful monument, he had always thought so. A longhaired angel, wings spread wide, hands reaching to the heavens. And at the base was a small plaque that read:__

                                                                                              _In memory of Ryou Bakura_

_                                                                            Founder of the Winged Hope Children's Hospital_

His eyes closed as he remembered the white-haired teen. It had been a surprise to all of them that it was Ryou who would be the first to go. He had been so young, so full of life and potential, but at the tender age of twenty he had been diagnosed with a form of cancer.

Ryou survived three years of useless treatment before he succumbed to the illness, but he hadn't gone out without a bang. No, he had used his remaining years to start a great fundraiser. All the money was to go to cancer research, and a new hospital specifically for children suffering from the disease.

They had all chipped in, aiding his cause. At the time of his death Ryou had raised tens of millions of dollars, and the fund was still raking in money, having surely passed the billion mark by now.

He stared up, to where the angel's hands were gently clasped around a golden urn. Ryou's ashes rested in that simple container. Softly, he placed the white rose he was carrying at the base of the statue, then walked away.

The next loss had been that of Mai, to a plane crash. Tragic, definitely, but not so much as Ryou's. She at least had had time to live her life and fulfill her dreams. Before the accident she had become a star duelist and a famous model, adored by many.

And apparently still was, he mused, staring at the bouquets and wreaths that decorated Mai's headstone.

"Look at that Mai," he said to thin air. "All the time you've been gone and people still remember you. You must enjoy knowing that you'll never be forgotten."

He smiled, and before he left another flower joined its brethren upon the grave. A white rose.

When Ryou died, he left behind Bakura, just as Yugi had left him, the spirit gaining a body of his own. He wasn't sure if the tomb robber had been in love with his other half, but after his death the spirit had become sullen and withdrawn, rarely talking.

Then, suddenly, something had happened. He suspected Marik, as after Bakura spontaneously drew out of his depression the two of them had gone gallivanting across the world. Great adventurers they had become, climbing mountains, exploring jungles, crossing deserts. If ever there was something dangerous and exciting to be done, those two did it.

He wondered if they had had a death wish, for it was their adventuring that had eventually done them in. Both in their forties, Marik and Bakura had been getting old when they went spelunking in some unknown cavern. With them were a young man and his fiancé, both of which are still alive today thanks to the tomb robber and his accomplice.

The cave was on a floodplain and while the four explorers were down in the cave a sudden storm had whipped up, causing a flash flood. The more experienced Marik and Bakura managed to get the couple to safety before they were swept away by a torrent of water and mud. Their bodies were never found

As a result of the storm the cave had collapsed inwards, forming a very large hole in the ground, a newly formed river flowing into it. In honor of the two men the fresh landmarks had been named after them. The river Marik would forever pour into the pit Bakura.

It was probably best they had died that way, he couldn't imaging them as the type who would want to die of old age, slowly wasting away to enfeeblement. But he still missed them, as much as he wouldn't admit it when he was younger. The three of them were never really friends, but Ryou' ordeal had brought them over their differences and a sort of harmony had been reached among them.

His fingers opened and a white rose fluttered from them down into the dark, to be washed away by a torrent of water.

He had many graves to visit, markers of the resting places of long lost friends, all who had died of old age. Tristan, Ishizu, Duke, Serenity… There was Tea, who had finally reached her dream of becoming a dancer though was never really famous. Yugi's grandfather, the kind old man who had raised his Light.

Upon each headstone he left a rose.

But there was one pair of gravestones that gave him particular pause, strong memories surfacing. Seto Kaiba and Joey Wheeler-Kaiba.

He and Seto had been rivals to the very end, but as they had grown older and mellowed out they had become fairly close friends. They had dueled each other many times over the years, both constantly improving, but the victor had always been him, the King of Games. Until their last duel.

The duel had been a long and close one, both with only a few hundred life points remaining. He had stared down at his hand, two cards standing out to him. Sould he play one, he felt it would ensure his victory, and should he play the other, he would lose.

For a long time he had paused, debating, then placed down a card. And, for the first time, he lost.

A week later, Kaiba had lain on his deathbed, his remaining friends surrounding him. He'd said one last thing to each of them, whispering into their ears. And when his turned came and he leaned in close, turning his head to listen, Seto had uttered only two words: "I know."

He had gaped in shock at his rival, and seeing the dying man's smirk he realized that Kaiba had known all along that he had let him win. And he had smirked back.

Minutes later, Seto died. It was only a few weeks afterwards that Joey followed his husband into the afterlife.

Placing roses on the graves of two of his closest friends, he became aware of another presence. Looking to the person, he smiled.

"Hello Mokuba."

"Hello Yami."

Even the seemingly inexhaustible young boy had grown old, having long since passed control of Kaiba Corp onto his son, as Seto had passed it to him. He didn't feel that Mokuba had much time left on this Earth.

The two old men stood in a companionable silence, letting their thoughts run free. But the moment had to end, for he still had things to do.

"Goodbye Mokuba."

"Bye Yami, I'll be seeing you soon."

He nodded. They both knew.

And so here he was, staring down at the waves crashing against the rocks. The ocean was so powerful, so beautiful. So much like his Light. Though Yugi had never been strong or large in body, he had the soul of a giant and a will strong enough to hold up the world. And he had been so bright, so lovely, even in the end.

Breathing in the brisk sea air, he conjured up an image of his love before he had died. Signs of laughter crinkled at the corners of Yugi's eyes and mouth, creases in the otherwise smooth skin, now colored a milky pale. All color had been lost from his shock of hair, having given way to a snowy white.

The light in Yugi's eyes had eternally remained, making the small man seem young, if only it was in spirit. The day his Light had died, resting within the confines of his arms, his love had seemed smaller than ever. He had felt almost as if made of glass, fragile.

The wind blew over his face, catching the tears he hadn't realized he'd been shedding and carrying them off to sea. Deep in his soul, in the place that Yugi had once occupied, he felt a slight pull. His love was calling for him, and he would not make him wait.

He had visited his family one last time, had left his regards to his friends, had tied up any loose ends. The house and all his belongings went to his children, all his money to Ryou's hospital, his and Yugi's dueling deck donated to a museum – they had been after it since his Light had died.

Everything was in order. It was time to let go.

Drawing one last breath, he spread his arms wide then leaned forward until he fell. For a fleeting moment Yami felt as though he might fly, but it passed and the ocean raced up to embrace him. _I'm coming, Yugi._

The End


End file.
